Hales named in England squad for India ODIs
london: England have announced a 15-man squad to face India in an ODI series with T20 specialist Alex Hales getting a call-up to the national team. Hales appears set to become captain Alastair Cook’s new opening partner after being named in the Royal london Series squad to face India. The 25-year-old, uncapped as yet in one-day internationals has played 32 T20 Internationals for England, joins a squad which will be missing frontline seamer Stuart Broad — due to see a specialist this week to assess what to do about his long-term knee injury. Back-in-favour Steven Finn has also been named in the squad.
Squad: Alastair Cook (c), Moeen Ali, James Anderson, Gary Ballance, Ian Bell, Jos Buttler (wk), Steven Finn, Harry Gurney, Alex Hales, Chris Jordan, Eoin Morgan, Joe Root, Ben Stokes, James Tredwell, Chris Woakes.
India slip to fifth spot in ICC Test rankings
Dubai: India have slipped one place to be fifth in the ICC Test team rankings after their 1-3 demolition at the hands of England in the recently-concluded five-match series. India conceded six ratings points after they touched a new low by succumbing to their heaviest Test defeat (an innings and 244 runs) in 40 years in a match that got over well inside three days at the Oval against England. The result helped England earn four rating points and climb up two places to third. Meanwhile, Sri lanka have also moved up one place to fourth after winning the two-Test series 2-0 against Pakistan, which in return dropped two spots to sixth. India and Pakistan are on equal ratings points at 96, but Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s side is ranked ahead of Misbah-ul-Haq and Co. when the ratings are calculated beyond the decimal point.
‘Indians need exposure to wider world outside IPl’
london: India captain MS Dhoni might have refused to blame IPl for his team’s shambolic show in the five-Test series against England, but former English skipper Michael Vaughan feels the young Indian players must come out of the cash-rich league’s shadow and play county cricket. “The Board Of Control for Cricket in India has some tough calls to make. My main recommendation is to get their players to play county cricket,” Vaughan wrote in his column for Daily Telegraph. Vaughan said it was important for the Indian youngsters to learn to play in English conditions for their overall development as cricketers. “Young Indian players need exposing to a wider world outside the pampering and riches of the Indian Premier league. They need to learn how to bat and bowl in our conditions,” said the former captain. “All the greats of the past 30 years had spells in county cricket. It would do their development a great deal of good to come here,” he added.
Pujara gets BCCI nod to play county cricket
Mumbai: Cheteshwar Pujara, who was among the top-order batsmen who failed to click in the five-Test series against England that India lost 1-3, has sought permission to play in the remainder of the English county season and will be allowed to do so by the Board. “Pujara is not part of the ODI or T20 team now and is free to play. He sought my permission to play in county cricket and I have asked him to send me the details. I have decided to allow him to play,” BCCI Secretary Sanjay Patel said. “We have never said no to any player to play in county cricket if it does not clash with our domestic cricket like Ranji Trophy etc. If you remember we had allowed Gautam Gambhir to play in the English country cricket (in 2013 for Essex),” Patel said.
IPl fixing: Cricketers may be quizzed in England
New Delhi: The Supreme Court-appointed IPl probe committee members, headed by Retd Justice Mukul Mudgal, is likely to leave for England within a few days to talk to a few members of the Indian cricket team regarding betting and spot-fixing scandal during IPl-6. Deputy DG of Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) and chief investigating officer of the panel B B Misra along with Justice Mudgal are due to fly to london for investigation purposes, sources said. "They are likely to be there for four days and effectively have a couple of sittings with some of the Indian cricketers during their stay over there," the sources said on conditions of anonymity. The first ODI will be played in Bristol on August 25. The Mudgal committee is expected to submit an interim report to the Supreme Court on August 27 where they might just appeal for an extension for submission of final report.